Tone-arm for phonographs



W. FRICK.

TONE ARM FOR PHONGGRAPHS.

APPLICATION FILED on. so, 1919.

1 5, V Patented July 5, 1921.

VJ'ILLIAM ERICK, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOE TO CLIFF MANUFACTURING worms,

mm, or New YORK, n. Y., a oon-ronarron or new YQRK,

Application filed October so; 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM FRICK, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city of New York, in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tone-Arms for Phonographs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in tone-arms for phonographs, and particu larly to that class of these arms, which may be used for the reproduction of disk records of either the laterally cut, or the hill and dale type.

It is the object of the invention, to pro vide a tone-arm by which the position of the reproducer, relative to the record, may instantly be changed from a vertical position of its diaphragm to a horizontal position of the same and vice versa.

Another object of the invention is to provide simple means for the use of the same reproducer with either one of the above named types of records.

A further object of the invention is, to provide easily operated means to hold the tone-arm securely in non-operative position.

The reproducer which is to be used in connection with this tone-arm includes means to use interchangeably the stylus points, best suited for the reproduction of either, laterally cut, or hill and dale-type records, for the novel features of this reproducer l have filed a separate and copending application for Letters Patent. With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel details of construction and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and shown and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, made part of these specifications, in which:

Figure I is a sectional elevation of my tone-arm, tone-arin-joint and tone-arm-support.

Fig. II is a plan of my tone-arm, showing a reproducer attached thereto, adapted for playing horizontally cut records. F or clearness the outer parts of the tone-arm joint are shown in section and a part of the reproducer is broken out.

Fig. 111 is a side elevation'of the reproducer and its attachment to the tone-arm, as seen in the direction of the arrow X of Fig. II.

Fig. IV is a front elevation, showing the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 5, 1921. Serial No. 334,576.

tone-arm and reproducer attached thereto. when adjusted to play hill and dale records:

F g. V is a side elevation of Fig. IV.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the various views.

Referring to the drawings, the tone-arm which consists shaped at its reproducer end into an elbow 1 provided with a shoulder 1 for attach ment of the sleeve 2 of the reproducer 2 by means'of a pin 2 held in this sleeve. Shoulder 1 is provided with two angular slots. commonly called bayonet slots, 1 and 1., arranged 41-0 degrees apart on the circumference of sleeve 1 and intended for the attachment of the reproducer in different rela t ve positions to the tone-arm l. The opposite end of the tone-arm l terminates into a hollow sphere 3 which is rotatively mounted in a spherical socket 4 of the stationary tone-arm support 4 and is held in place in this socket by means of the cap 5 to form a ball and socket universal joint. Cap 5 forms a part of the spherical socket at 5" and its flange 5 is joined to a similar flange 48 of the tone-arm support by means of screws 6; these screws are surrounded by small helical springs 7 which rest in recesses of flange 5 and tend to press flanges and a" apart, to form a smooth and easy working oint and prevent binding of the ball in its socket. Cap 5 carries also a screw 8 which terminates into a pivot 8 and whose axis is preferably located in a plane through the axis of the tone-arm, when in position oi? alinement with that of the tone-arm support (as shown in full lines on the drawings). This pivot 8 enters a slot 3 or 3 in the surface of the sphere, when the tone-arm is in playing position. The slot 3 surrounds the circumference of the sphere, close to its joining line with the tube 1, and connects the slots 3, 3" and 3' which extend in longitudinal direction of the tone arm, with each other. The two long guide grooves 3 and 3 are arranged to form an angle of 90 degrees with each other and the tonearm axis as vertex the short stop-groove 3 is preferably arranged between 3* and 3. but may be placed at any other point on the circumference of 3*. In resting position the pivot 8 is located in this short stopgroove 3 and the tone-arm held thereby in an elevated position.

1 represents of a tube,

intersection of Referring to the reproducer 2 which I use in connection with this tone-arm, 10 is the stylus lever, connected at its end l0 and hinged to the pivot screws 11; this stylus lever is provided with a needle-socket. 10 two apertures, 10 and 10 tion to each other, ably arranged on the line axis of the stylus-lever, it is intersected by the aperture 10 which forms an angle of about 50 degrees therewith; at the place of these two apertures and transversely thereto, a set screw 12 is placed for clamping a stylus, inserted into either in. angular relaaperture.

The operation of this tone-arm and the therewith is greatly simplified by the invention; Assuming that be desired to play a laterally cut record, the tone-arm will be placed into the position shown in Figs. I and II by means of the ball and socket joint, and pivot 8 will be located in groove 3 while the reproducer sleeve 2 will be attached to shoulder 1? by using bayonet slot 1 for the connection with pin 2*, which holds the face of the reproducer vertically, and stylus lever 10 inthe position shown in Fig. III, giving the latter v an inclination of about 50' degrees with the horizontal. In this position the reproducer maybe swung freely in horizontal direction 1 over the face of the record through an angle playing records of of suflicient opening for largest size, as the tone-arml can be rotated bymeans of the sphere 8;throughthe angle A indicated by dash and 'II, the size of which. is governed by the opening of flange .5. The pivot 8 locates at all times the axis of this motion as it is slidably arranged in groove 3 and the tone-arm 1 may swing vertically'sufficiently to permit the stylus of the reproducerto follow the usual undulations of the record.

Should it now be desired to'play a record of the hill and dale type, the tone-arm would be lifted vertically far enough that pivot 8 enters slot 3", and then rotated'on its axis until pivot 8 enters slot 3 which will hold the tone-arm and reproducer in resting, elevated position and. conveniently a'rrangedto remove the stylus 14 from aperture 10", by opening set, screw. 12. A sapphire pointed stylus 15 will then be inserted into aperture 10 and set screw'12 tied. The reproducer will now be removed from bayonet slot 1 and shoulder 1 and so replaced thereon, 7

that bayonet slot 1 is held on pin 2, which involves 'a'turning of the reproducer on its axis throughan angle of about lO degrees;

The tone-arm is then lifted slightly to free pivot 87 from slot 3 and revolved on its axis, that pivot 8 which slidesin slot 3" during thisrotation, can enter slot3 to the diaphragm in any suitable manner vertical plane of the tone-arm axis.

position the stylus may follow the vertical tone wavesof a record of this type,

reproducer 2 by means of the in which I provide the aperture 10? is prefer of the longitudinal is rigidly mounted dot lines in Fig,

which brings Fig. IV,with its face or diaphragm inghorizontal position and the stylus/ lever into the while the tone-arm remains free tomove horizontally through the same angle A indicated; inFig; II. 1 g

While the advantages of this invention are many; its'striking feature is itsmechanical simplicity for its manifoldpurposes, 1

The tone-arm: consists of a single moving part,the tube 1; and the'tone-arm support 4 on the phonograph. "The reproducing both types of recordse-horizon- In this V vertical and horizontal'motion' required for tally cut as well as hill anddale types--are accomplished by one singlegjoint.

,No speclal parts or' complex motions are required for holding the tone-arm in resting 7 position. 7

The correct positions of the styluslever. for playing eithertype of recordare fixed by the position of the bayonet slots 1 and 1 and not subject to disarrangement by the operator. v 7 g I The smooth and easy operation of the ball and socket jointis insured by means of the spring seated cover 5 and the joint can easily be cleaned and lubricated, I

The change from reproducing one type'of record to that of another type is easily accomplished in a minimum of time. I v

, The number of parts and especially movable parts is reduced toa minimumQ Having thus described'my inventionwhat I claim as new and desire to secureby Let- 7 ters Patentisz. h 7 1 V .1. Ina phonograph, support holding a sound, conveying tube, a spherical shaped member having guide -forming grooves in its surface at one end anda reproducerat the other end of said tube, a stationary pin on said support slidably engaged by said guides forming means to 'I restrict the oscillatory motion of saidtube and to permit a rotative motion thereof about itsaxis r 2. In a phonograph, asupport holding a i sound conveying tube, a spherical shaped member having guide-forming grooves in its surface at one end and a reproducer at the other end of said tube, a stationary pin on said support slidably: engaged by said guides formingmeansto restrict oscillatory 'motion'of said tube and to permitdifferent guides alternately to engage'jsaid' pin.

In a phonograph, a support, a universal joint thereon, a sound conveying tube connected to said support by saidjoint, a reproducer heldat' one end of said tube, aspherical shaped memberat its other endforming part of said joint, a pinadapted to restrict the motion of said spherical shapedmember in its socket and a series'ofgrooves forming guides for said pin, said guides and pin providing means to permit oscillatory motion 01"" said reproducer simultaneously in tWo directions and to swing its face from horizontal to vertical position.

4. In a phonograph, a support, a universal. joint thereon, a sound conveying tube connected to said support by said joint, a re producer held at one end of said tube, a spherical shaped member at its other end forming part of said joint, a pin connecting said spherical member to its socket and a series of grooves forming guides for said pin,

said guides and pin providing means to permit a rotative motion of said tube about its axis and to suspend said reproducer in elevated position.

5. In a phonograph, a support, a sound conveying tube, a ball and socket joint con necting one end of said tube to said support, said joint including means to permit a rotative motion of said tube about its axis and means to restrict oscillatory motion of said tube alternately in different, predetermined positions thereof.

WILLIAM FRIOK. 

